A defining moment in our history - Transsexual Road Map

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Andrea JamesA defining moment in our historyhad taken “physician, heal thyself” to heart previously, and after yet anotherfailed “cure” in the form of vaginoplasty, Lawrence’s fascination did notwane. In 1997, a lack of social acceptance at work (described in one accountas “bizarre behavior”) 55 and an incident where Lawrence examined anunconscious patient for signs of ritualized genital modification ended arespected career. 56 Discovering Blanchard was clearly revelatory forLawrence, who now had a diagnosis to explain what happened. Suddenly,this forgotten diagnosis had a vocal and influential champion. I dismantlethe pseudoscience behind “autogynephilia” in a longer essay elsewhere. 57A scientific or reasonable discussion of “autogynephilia” is like ascientific discussion of horoscopes: there’s no science to discuss, onlypseudoscience. Yes, both concepts exist, but that does not mean either arelegitimate science. Some people have a need to create an identity based on aworldview where people are predictable based on vague, unprovencategories that arbitrarily assign traits to everyone, imposing order onto anunpredictable and incomprehesibly complex world.“Transsexual” definedBBL have proposed several definitions for “transsexual” that includepeople not previously considered within that definition. Their definitionsview gender variance through the lens of disordered sexual desire. Baileydefines “transsexual” as anyone who has “the desire to become a member ofthe opposite sex.” 58 They do not have to act on this desire—“only seriousthoughts” are enough to qualify. 59 This model reflects Bailey’s definitionsof sexual orientation: someone is a homosexual whether they act on theirdesire or not. Lawrence believes transsexuality is “fundamentally aboutchanging one's anatomy, or sex; and that sometimes it may have little to dowith gender identity, or with gender role.” 60 Some do this “not primarilybecause they have a gender problem, but because they have a sex problem,and indeed a sexual problem… the expression of a paraphilia” 61 Blanchardsays he’s reluctant to label children as “transsexual,” 62 which is reminiscentof the “pre-homosexual” language used by his homophobic counterparts in“gay cure” groups like NARTH. 63 Blanchard’s colleague Ken Zucker is avocal advocate of reparative therapy for gender-variant children, and heconsiders transsexuality “a bad outcome.” 64 In fact, Bailey has noted thatunchecked, this disease could spread: a world tolerant of gender-variantchildren “might well come with the cost of more transsexual adults.” 65Echoing Lawrence’s strict anatomical construction of “transsexual,” aquaint aphorism claims, “If you aren’t a transsexual before surgery, you areafter.” Really? What about David Reimer or others surgically altered aschildren who do not identify as transsexual? 66 Conflicting definitions occurwithin any demographic grouping. Extremist separatists from both sides ofany constructed binary often create unlikely alliances: for instance, “peopleof color” and “African-American” are terms debated by both ethnicseparatists and conservatives. 67 In our community, pluralist concepts like“queer” or “transgender” are debated in circles where distinctions betweengay men and transwomen, or between crossdressing and transsexualism, arevery important.Lawrence insists the few who embrace this diagnosis “do not declareourselves sick.” 68 Not morally sick, anyway, but physically sick. Lawrence’sself-descriptions have remarkable parallels with descriptions of binge-andpurgecycles among crossdressers who hate their behavior, or those“afflicted” with “unwanted homosexuality”: “The loneliness anddisconnection from others that typically accompany autogynephilia [sic] area large part of what makes this condition feel like genuine paraphilia (i.e., a“disorder”) to many of us who experience it (and I'm including myself here)and not merely a “benign variant’ form of human sexuality.” 69 Swap“autogynephilia” with the word “homosexuality,” and Lawrence’s commentwould feel right at home in a NARTH publication. Lawrence’s “problem”is not self-love, but self-hate.For those of us who view “gender” and “sex” as socially constructed,transsexualism can’t be separated from its social component. Phenotype canpage 6
Andrea JamesA defining moment in our historytrump genotype; gender expression can trump anatomy. Those who need touse anatomy as evidence of their identity have failed in gaining acceptancewithin a social or institutional framework. Everyone has a right to selfidentify,but if others don’t accept that proclaimed identity, we must eitheraccept their lack of acceptance, or work to change their minds. People canlegislate rights, but not acceptance. That has to be earned.Audre Lorde said “Your silence will not protect you.” 70 I say youranatomy will not protect you, either. Legal and medical models based onanatomical benchmarks for “male” and “female” will inevitably conflict andfail. Sexists who wish to efface the identities of women like me can alwaysfind a physiological or behavioral reason to say I am “‘really’ a man,” andsome of the worst offenders are “helping professionals” and people in ourcommunity. They echo the racists who came up with “scientific” schemes todetermine who was “‘really’ black,” or heterosexists like BBL who createways to determine who is “‘really’ gay.”Gatekeeping versus services on demandMuch of my early activism was informed by sex-positive, pro-choicefeminism. We passed out condoms and “Just Say Yes” sex-ed books atChicago Public Schools, and we defended clinics from Operation Rescue.One of our major initiatives was family planning services (includingabortion) that were “safe, free and on demand.” I have always seen parallelsbetween family planning and transition-related medical services, both ofwhich were once only available through back alley clinics and black marketsources. Women in our community died from this, and still die from illegaland unregulated products and procedures because of our legal status. Ibelieve controlling our bodies is a fundamental human right. If someonewishes to undergo a vasectomy, vaginal rejuvenation, abortion, facial tattoo,piercings, tongue splittings, facial feminization, breast implants, mastectomyetc., I believe these procedures should be available to anyone who is willingto sign a release. I find it quite telling that our surgical procedures andabortion both face similar challenges, since both involve altering one’scapacity to reproduce.Psychiatric gatekeeping only works for those who are unwilling or unableto find easier and faster ways. Before the internet, most young people gotwhat they needed through extralegal networks (many poor people still do),and anyone who had the means would skip gatekeeping altogether and jetoff to an exotic locale, as it had been done for many years before the genderclinics began imposing controls. At the apex of the gender clinic system,only those willing to endure a process akin to criminals at a parole hearingtook that route—people who would say whatever the gatekeeper wanted tohear in order to get what they desired. 71 Ironically, many who tried to getaround gatekeeping during their own involvement now insist it remain inplace. 72 Lawrence, who is fond of quoting Audre Lorde, 73 must havemissed “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.” 74Gatekeeping also appeals to those who don’t get much validation exceptfrom gatekeepers. The acceptance letter becomes about the only acceptancethey get. Not only is getting a vagina a status symbol and evidence ofidentity for this tiny group, but “beating the system” is a status symbol, too(which might also explain the correlation between online “‘autogynephilia’support” and welfare support).I should note that I had a great therapist who helped me immensely. Iprobably would have gone even without being required. Therapy andsupport should be encouraged, but voluntary, and without the stigma ofdisease, in the way that someone questioning their spiritual beliefs mightfind therapy helpful without needing their spiritual journey labeled as a“religious identity disorder.” With gatekeeping, we end up with people likeBBL controlling access to services in exchange for money or sex. “Sexology”is an unregulated activity in most states, meaning anyone could set up shopas a sexologist or sex therapist. Bailey, Lawrence, and others have all usedtheir “sexologist” credentials to gain easier access to sex partners. Somedismiss this as OK because they sign our little permission slips so we can getpage 7
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